Self-Sufficiency Program Gets A Boost

BUTLER COUNTY – Supports to Encourage Low-income Families (SELF) has received one of two Economic Security Grants awarded this summer by The Women’s Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation and The Charlotte R. Schmidlapp Fund. The $12,500 grant will be used in conjunction with other resources to serve at least 80 women with Project 2 Empower, a case management program focused on improving the financial and overall well-being of low-income families who live in Butler County. 
 
Project 2 Empower aims to increase the level of self-sufficiency of “working poor” families working in low wage jobs who struggle to find ways to meet their daily living expenses. SELF will provide women and their families with a targeted support system designed to help them to overcome barriers to increased income, higher education levels, and more stable living situations. Project 2 Empower specifically focuses on helping individuals to improve their employment opportunities through education and other resources.
 
“In the PULSE study that benchmarked the major issues affecting women and girls in our region, we saw that two key groups experience the greatest disparities – women in poverty and women-headed households,” states Vanessa Freytag, Executive Director of the Women’s Fund. “The SELF program provides a comprehensive assessment that addresses the spectrum of obstacles each woman/family faces and as a result provides a more complete set of solutions. This is critical in getting to the root causes of their economic issues and is more likely to result in long lasting systemic change.”
 
 
 Project 2 Empower began in West Chester and Liberty Townships in January of 2004 with support from the Community Foundation of West Chester/Liberty, and the Liz Claiborne Foundation. It was expanded in 2005 to serve other areas of the county. 
 
The program is also supported by the National Speaking of Women’s Health Foundation, the Butler County United Way, and the United Way of Greater Cincinnati, upon recommendation of its Middletown area volunteers. The mission of the National Speaking of Women's Health Foundation is to "educate women to make informed decisions about their health, well-being and personal safety."
 
Project 2 Empower served 56 families in the first half of 2007. Approximately 80% of participants in Project 2 Empower are women between the ages of 19 and 55. In order to qualify for the program, participants may not earn more than $34,340 for a family of three.
 
 “This is a program that truly promotes self-sufficiency and personal responsibility by helping low-income individuals make tangible changes in their lives,” says Larry Mulligan, president of SELF’s Board of Directors. “The majority of Project 2 Empower clients are working hard in low-wage jobs but need assistance in learning how to improve their situations and get ahead. Many Project 2 Empower clients are women who are single parents wanting to provide a better life for their children. Without this Economic Security Grant and support from our other
generous funders, this program would not be possible.”
 
The mission of The Women’s Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation is “to transform the lives of women and girls in Greater Cincinnati through fund raising, grant making, research and advocacy to make our community a national leader in creating opportunities for women and girls.”
 
SELF accepts donations to further its mission to empower low-income individuals to achieve, sustain and advocate self-sufficiency. For more information on SELF or how you can support its community efforts, please call 513-868-9300.

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